The Origin of the Team Magma Twins
by RemiScarlet58
Summary: This is the origin story of Sydney and Karen, the two twins of Team Magma. Lonely and imprisoned on their island mansion by their parents, the girls long for a place where they can be free from the constraints of society. Sydney discovers a group called Team Magma who desire more land, and the two set off on their adventure to find a place to call home.
1. Prologue

"I'm_ bored_! Why do I have to be on this stakeout? I'm a tech specialist; not a surveillance expert!" A girl with lime green hair and wearing a peculiar red-and-black outfit complained as she looked up from her binoculars. Her twin sister, who had sky blue hair and was lying next to her, sighed.

"You know as well as I do that having people of all talents on a stakeout is crucial to the mission. And besides, I'm having as much fun as you are right now. I'm the spy, but I'd rather be doing something other than watch some stupid building. Why can't I go and burn it to the ground again?" The other girl asked, the latter part directed at the other five people who were on stakeout with them.

"Because we don't know for sure if the building we're watchin' is a Team Aqua safe house or not. Higher ups want to be sure it is before takin' action. They don't want us screwin' up by blowin' up some civilian's home and causin' us to lose Team Magma's perfectionist reputation. Sydney, you can do your spy thing once we've determined if this place belongs to the enemy or not. If it does, Karen will need to cause a city-wide power outage so everyone will be distracted and go outside. Then we'll protect Sydney as she looks for any possible information we can use. This is the twelfth time I've explained it to you two." A man in a similar outfit chastised the two girls.

"I know all that, I just don't understand why I can't cause an outage anyway. That way we can go in and look around, and if it turns out the place is not an Aqua safe house, we can go home. But instead all seven of us are on top of the Devon Corporation's roof watching people walk in and out of a bank. Can we _please_ do something?" Karen, the tech expert, begged while looking through her binoculars.

"Give me those, it's my turn. And no, we can't. It's too risky. Once the power goes out with no warning, the entire city of Rustboro will be out on the streets, especially the police. We're going to be spotted no matter what, so this is our one shot at this. If the joint _is_ an Aqua haven, then they're gonna know we're on to them, and they'll move, possibly with valuable info. So, we have to wait. Believe me, sis, I am itching to introduce my Aggron to the bank's foundation, but I don't want Team Aqua or the cops on our tail as we race back towards the base. Ooooh, that lady with the Delcatty is wearing a winter coat! In summer! Hah! I feel bad for her!" Karen's sister, Sydney, snickered as she looked through the binoculars.

"Stay focused!" Another man in the same red and black uniform snapped.

"I am, don't worry. Coat Lady just came out and is heading to the market. She's too obvious to be a Team Aqua member." Said Sydney.

"Let me see?" Asked yet another man.

"Oh, yeah, you're right. _Way_ too obvious." He said after a moment. The seven Team Magma members on stakeout were silent for some time, watching people and their Pokemon walk in and out of the bank.

"So, how did you all come to join Team Magma?" Asked the sole adult woman of the group.

"Eh, I grew up in Lilycove City. I got tired of the color blue and the smell of salt pretty quick. I never grew to love the sea. It has too many secrets, in my opinion." Shrugged the member who had yelled at Sydney for being unfocused.

"Really, Jeff? Huh. I never knew, and me bein' your partner and all. Anyway, I joined because my ma never came back from a sailin' expedition. Me, my pa, and my little sister were devastated. I keep thinkin' that if there hadn't been a sea to explore, she'd still be alive." Said the member who had explained the plan for the twelfth time.

"Ouch. I'm sorry, Simon. I joined because a sailor stole the heart of my girlfriend a few years ago. I kept waiting for the day he arrived in the port again, but I never saw him or my girlfriend again. I figured, if he's gonna steal what I love, then I'm gonna steal what he loves—the sea—as well." Explained another member.

"Yes! I approve of the downfall of sailors! I tried to become a sailor once, but not one ship would take me. Said I was too weak and not suited to sea life. One crew even had their Empoleons toss me into the sea. After that, I vowed I would destroy all people and Pokemon who spend their lives on water." Exclaimed the member who wanted to watch Coat Lady.

"Typical sea-lovers. Anyway, I joined because a riptide took my brother when I was just a kid. Ever since, I can't stand water or water-type Pokemon. They could have helped my brother, but they didn't!" Shouted the woman, tears coming to her eyes. She calmed down. 

"Sorry, I shouldn't jeopardize the mission. Sydney and Karen, what about you? Why did you two join us?" She asked. Both girls winced.

"It's a long story…."Karen began.

"And not many people understand why we left our old lives when we explain it to them…." Continued Sydney.

"So we just don't talk about it anymore. Sorry." Apologized Karen.

"If you insist. Back to work, I suppose. Let me take a turn with the binoculars." Said the woman. Sydney turned onto her back to look at the cloudless sky.

"Our origin story, huh? Hm." She said to herself as she reminisced those fateful days leading up to her and Karen's joining of Team Magma.


	2. An Unhappy Birthday

****Uploaded early because I'm getting really into this****

Chapter 2. "An Unhappy Birthday"

_One year earlier…_

"Happy Birthday to us, huh?" Karen said sarcastically.

The twins were currently in the solar hiding from the party guests and the servants. Their parents had spent the entire day parading the girls to their coworkers and aristocratic friends. Now they wanted the sisters to spend the next few hours entertaining the guests with singing and dancing, as if the guests were the ones celebrating their 10th birthday.

"I like our singing, dancing, and instrument lessons, but I just hate how we have to put on shows _all _the time. Why can't we ever have a say in what we do for once?" She continued, sitting on a window seat and staring out of the window with her sister.

Sydney sighed. She hated their life as well, but their parents turned a deaf ear whenever they tried to speak up for themselves. It was like speaking to a wall. The girls' opinions were ignored by everybody. It was so bad that Sydney had turned selectively mute to all but Karen, and the latter rarely spoke to anyone but Sydney. Their parents had always treated the twins like they were fragile blossoms to be coddled and protected, as well as made to always look pretty. Indeed, the silk dresses the twins always wore were very beautiful, but useless in practicality. The dresses were made for people who weren't going to do any strenuous activity whatsoever.

"And people mix us up a lot! ….Well, actually, that's to be expected. We _are_ identical twins, and the only way to tell us apart is our clothes: lime green for me, to match our hair, and sky blue for you, since it's your favorite color. But still, we've been around for ten years now; everyone should know us enough to be able to tell us apart!" Her sister continued ranting.

"But they don't know us. They just want to see the oh-so-darling children of the richest family in the Sinnoh region. They don't care about us, Karen; they're using us as playthings. We're dolls to them; pretty to look at but incapable of thought." Sydney sighed, looking out at the island they lived on.

It wasn't exactly home to the girls—more like a prison—but unfortunately they were stuck on their snippet of Canalave City. They often thought about escaping, but as neither of them could swim very well or operate a boat, their fantasies were never serious. The problem was that although the twins could have any material item they wanted, a servant had to watch over the girls while they played to make sure they didn't get hurt. Since the servants had absolutely no spare time, the girls couldn't play with many of their toys. The twins couldn't even play on the beach, as—according to their parents—a riptide could snatch the girls into the ocean to their doom.

"I'm so sick of this place. I want to leave." Karen whispered.

Sydney looked at her younger sister with sadness. It tore her heart to pieces seeing Karen so sad. Sydney would have gladly done anything—even give her own life—to ensure her sister was happy and well. The girls stared silently out the window. The weather, seemingly in keeping with their somber mood, was cloudy and threatening of rain. _How fitting_, Sydney thought, _that our birthday is as cheerful as the clouds outside_.

"…I hope we get a Pokemon for our birthday." Karen said quietly after a while.

"A Pokemon? What kind?" Her sister asked.

"Any kind, as long as we could play with it, feed it, brush its fur all day….I want a friend. I miss Melinda. She had a lot of cool Pokemon, and she could travel through Sinnoh as a Pokemon Coordinator. But our parents didn't like her, not after we ran away with her." Karen smiled at the memory.

"I remember. We three had gotten to Oreburgh City before Officer Jenny caught us and turned us in to our parents. Mom and Dad banished Melinda from this island and we never saw her again. That was what compelled them to try and keep us safe from everything. I miss her too. I hope we get a Ralts, like Melinda's starter Pokemon. We _are_ old enough to have our own Pokemon now." Sydney said, growing excited by the idea.

"Yeah! Our very own Pokemon! If we got a Pokemon, then I wouldn't mind being stuck on this island! At least we'd finally have a friend to play with!" Karen beamed.

"And once Mom and Dad saw how well we'd take care of it, they'd realize they were being too strict with us and let us play on the beach together!" Sydney laughed.

The sisters suddenly drooped with despair.

"No, they wouldn't. The Pokemon wouldn't be happy here, and I'd feel awful for making it stay here with us." Sighed Karen, hugging her twin.

"Just because we have to suffer doesn't mean it has to." Sydney agreed, hugging back.

"What _do_ you think we'll get this year?" Karen asked, now sitting back-to-back with Sydney.

"More of the usual: toys we can't play with." Sydney said bitterly.

"They do let us play with some toys, though." Karen said after a pause.

"Yeah, toys that are meant for younger kids, like dolls, blocks, and board games. We have a bunch of neat stuff, but we can't even play with any of it. I'm sure other kids' parents don't buy toys they won't let their children play with." Sydney scowled.

The two fell silent once more as the first flash of lightning zoomed across the sky, soon followed by the boom of thunder.

"I think I hate the ocean most of all." Sydney said thoughtfully, after the thunder had ceased.

"Why?" Asked her sister.

"It's what's keeping us trapped here. If there was just land surrounding our mansion, then we would've run away long ago." Answered Sydney.

Karen thought about what her sister had said.

"You know, you're right. I'd rather we be surrounded by land than water. In fact, I wish the ocean didn't exist! I wish that there was a way for us to get rid of the ocean forever!" Karen exclaimed, getting up from the window seat.

"And one day, we're gonna find a way! Then children like us who are trapped on islands could run away and be free from rules and norms! They'd thank us for saving them and become our friends for all eternity!" Laughed Sydney, getting up as well.

Just then, the door to the solar opened, and a tall man in a black and white servant uniform stepped in.

"Ah, there you two are. Mistress Sydney and Mistress Karen, your parents and your guests are waiting to see your spectacular performance of 'Swanna Lake'. Allow me to escort you both to the theatre, where everyone is waiting."

The servant firmly grasped the twins' arms and, despite their struggling, led them out of their hiding place and to the dreaded theatre.


	3. A Glimmer of Hope

_The next day…_

Noon found the twins in their mansion's enormous library. It was the only place during this time where they could talk without fear of being overheard. It wasn't like anyone cared what they had to say anyway, but the girls liked their privacy.

"We have to escape our island and Canalave City. The sea is a prison." Karen was saying.

"How? We're surrounded by water and we don't know how to drive the boats the servants use to travel to the mainland. And where would we go? What would we do? How will we earn enough money for food and shelter?" Sydney argued. They had had this conversation countless times before.

"Don't you want to leave this Arceus-forsaken place?" Her sister demanded.

"I do, but until we have somewhere we can escape to, Officer Jenny's just gonna catch us again. You know once everyone discovers we're gone they'll report us to the police. Besides, we don't even have Pokemon to defend us if something goes wrong." Sydney despaired.

Yesterday, after the twins' edition of 'Swanna Lake' came the cake and presents. They had received a miniature carousel that they couldn't use unless someone was watching them ("More toys we can't play with," Sydney had said in disgust once the guests had left), lots of expensive dolls, and a priceless Chandelure chandelier to be placed inside the main hall. Karen later asked their father if they could have a Pokemon, and he had laughed in response.

"Pokemon are not toys, dear. They are a huge responsibility. You have to care for them every single day, with no days off whatsoever. You have to make sure they don't get hurt, that they're fed and well-groomed, and that they're happy. It's not as easy as it sounds, trust me. They are not suitable pets for children."

"And they can be very dangerous," Their mother had chimed in. "Pokemon are creatures with extraordinary powers, and these powers are not something to be taken lightly. You two could get very, very hurt real easily, and that is a thought that your father and I cannot bear to think about. No dears, Pokemon are just not suitable for young children." And that was the end of that.

"It's not fair! They have Pokemon; why can't we?" Karen had demanded later on.

"They are grown adults who can handle the responsibility and care it takes to raise and train a Pokemon. They've had years of experience with being around Pokemon. They aren't little children like us." Sydney had replied, imitating their parents.

"What did we do to deserve a life like ours?" Karen said wistfully, bringing Sydney back to the present.

"I'm so lonely and sad I can't bear it anymore. I wish we had different parents." She continued.

Sydney looked at her twin in shock.

"Yeah I said it. You feel it too, I know you do. You wish that we had parents who actually cared about us and listened to us and let us do normal kid things like play on the beach and have Pokemon." Karen said.

Sydney looked away guiltily. Karen was right; she _did_ feel that way as well. But it was one thing to feel like that and an entirely different thing to actually say it out loud. Her sister sighed.

"I'm going to my room to work on my modeling kits. I need something to take my mind off of my despair. I swear I'm going to go insane if I have to spend one more day here. I HATE the ocean!" She said, walking out of the library.

Sydney watched her sister go, her heart twisting itself in knots at seeing her sister so unhappy with her life. There was nothing she loved more than her dear younger sister, and seeing her in this much pain was breaking her heart.

Feeling morose, Sydney wandered over to where the newspaper archives were kept. A lot of neat articles could always be found in the newspapers from different regions. Reading some would let her temporarily forget about her troubles. Today's paper from the Hoenn region caught her eye.

"Police Discover More Information on Team Magma" The headline screamed. The photograph below showed a blurry picture of what looked to be people in red and black clothes. Fully intrigued, Sydney took the paper from its shelf and settled down at a table to read it.

"Thanks to the efforts of the International Police, the Hoenn police force, and their Pokemon, investigators have potentially unearthed more information on the crime syndicate known as Team Magma. An undercover officer has recently learned that the group desires to increase the Earth's landmass via the help of the legendary Pokemon Groudon. Why they want more land is currently unknown." The article read.

Sydney froze. She thought back to yesterday when she and Karen were in the solar….

"_I think I hate the ocean most of all." She had said._

"_Why?" Asked Karen._

"_It's what's keeping us trapped here. If there was just land surrounding our mansion, then we would've run away long ago." Sydney had answered._

"_You know, you're right! I'd rather be surrounded by land than water. In fact, I wish the ocean didn't exist! I wish that there was a way for us to get rid of the ocean forever!" Karen had exclaimed._

"_And one day, we're gonna find a way!" Sydney had vowed._

Now, staring right in front of her was a way for her and Karen to do just that. It was almost as if their wish had been granted. It seemed too good to be true. Sydney searched the rest of the article for more information on this Team Magma group, but her efforts produced unfruitful results, as the crime syndicate seemed to be very mysterious and not well known. She spent the next hour and a half researching Team Magma, but the little she did find only reiterated what the first article said. It seemed Team Magma was good at keeping its secrets.

For the first time in many months, Sydney felt a true and genuine grin slowly spread across her face. She had found she was very good at finding information meant to be hidden. If Team Magma wanted to stay hidden, well, she and her sister would find them and join their ranks.

Thunder boomed outside. The storm that had been brewing all day yesterday had finally decided to unleash its vengeance during the night. Sydney looked out the window with a new purpose. If they could get off the island, they could escape to Hoenn and find Team Magma. They'd finally be free from their parents' clutches. First she had to tell her sister.


	4. Preparations

"Karen!" Sydney yelled, slamming open the door to Karen's room.

"What?" Her sister asked, startled.

"Do you wanna escape from this island?" Sydney demanded.

"Yeah, but we don't have anywhere to go."

Sydney grinned.

"We do now! Take a look at this!" She said, giving Karen the article about Team Magma.

Karen jumped down from her bed, where she had been painstakingly putting together a 2 inch-tall wooden model of a Drapion without using any glue or tape. There were other tiny models of Pokemon she had completed adorning her nightstand. Karen was very skilled at building things.

"Let's see...Wait, this Team Magma group are actually gonna expand the world's landmass?!" Karen exclaimed.

"Just like we talked about yesterday!" Sydney laughed.

"Yeah, but I never thought we'd actually have the chance to do that. Plus, it sounds like Team Magma are criminals. We could get in a lot of trouble!" Karen hesitated.

Sydney drooped. Karen was right; they _would _get in trouble with the police if they joined criminal organization.

"You know…"Karen said after a minute.

"What?"

"Being a wanted felon could be fun." Karen said, a wicked smile playing upon her face. Sydney matched with one of her own.

"We could do whatever we want and no one could say anything about it! There would be no rules and no restrictions! Plus, I've always wanted to hack into the Devon Corporation's databases and see what they're up to." Karen grinned. She had recently discovered a knack for electronics.

"It's time we changed our lives, Karen. I'm sick of rules, and I'm sick of the endless ocean. If we join Team Magma, we could kill two birds with one stone!" Sydney said.

"Yeah! I say we leave immediately!" Karen exclaimed.

As if to undermine that statement, a huge clap of thunder boomed outside.

"The storm's not gonna let up for another few days, sis, so no planes will be going to Hoenn." Sydney said wryly.

"Well, we can use the next few days to pack supplies for the trip to Hoenn. Let's see…We'll need food, water, a map of Hoenn, a first aid kit, and money." Karen thought, pacing her room.

"Oh, I can get all of those things real easy." Sydney dismissed.

"Even the money, which our parents keep behind a locked safe?" Demanded Karen.

"Oh yeah, I've broken into it once before. It's filled to the brim with money." Sydney said, getting a dreamy look on her face.

"Sweet. Oh! What about our parents? Won't they catch us?" Asked Karen.

"No, Dad's on a business trip and Mom's visiting our aunt in Almia. And tomorrow's Saturday; we don't have tutoring on Saturdays. All we have to do is avoid are the servants, and they're always busy." Grinned Sydney.

"Wait! We don't have Pokemon!" Froze Karen.

"We can just stay in the cities and not go out onto the Routes. We'll be safe in the city." Reassured Sydney.

"If you say so. I can get the map, medicine, and food if you'll get the money." Said Karen.

"Deal! Let's start tomorrow, when we'll have the entire day to prepare." Said Sydney.

_The next day…._

"The safe's over here." Said Sydney, leading her sister down through grand hallway after grand hallway.

Presently, they came to a 4 ft. tall safe door that was set in the wall at the end of the hall.

"This is it? From what you said yesterday, I was expecting it to be a lot bigger than this." Karen said in disbelief.

"Don't let the door fool you; it's much bigger on the inside. Now, the combination should be….56-98-32-09-67." Sydney said, twisting the dial on the safe to the five numbers. The door didn't open.

"What? No, that was the combo last time. I'm sure of it." She said.

"It probably got changed." Piped Karen.

Sydney sighed.

"Probably. Oh well, looks like I'm going to have to do this the hard way. Did you bring the cup?" She asked, the latter part to Karen.

In response, Karen held out a paper cup. Sydney took it, placed the open end on the safe, and put her ear against the other end. She began twisting the dial back and forth; listening for any clicks that would indicate what the new combination was. Presently, she heard an almost-inaudible click.

"There's one…" She said.

After half an hour, the door swung open.

"Ta-da!" Sydney beamed. She loved breaking into things.

"Awesome! Now let's get inside before someone sees us!" Karen said.

The girls climbed into the safe, where they were greeted by stacks upon stacks of money.

"_Oh my Arceus!"_ Karen exclaimed.

"I knew we were rich, but I didn't think we were _this_ rich!"

"Pretty cool, right?" Grinned Sydney, who was heading over towards a giant money fountain.

"There's a pool filled with money, there's a fountain that sprays money, there's a hill of money…." Karen babbled, still astounded.

"How much do you think we'll need?" Called Sydney from across the room.

Karen snapped out of it.

"Um….Gosh, I don't know. How much do normal things like apples and clothes cost?" She asked.

None of them knew.

"I'll just take a few hundreds. If we need more, we can always steal it." Sydney said, pocketing bills.

"Yeah, we'll need it more than they do, if it comes to that." Agreed Karen.

"Alright, we have money. And the storm's supposed to ease up a bunch this afternoon." Said Sydney, joining her twin by the door.

"You go find out what time the next boat or plane to Hoenn is while I get the other stuff." Said Karen as they walked out of the safe.

"Will do. Good luck." Sydney said as she and her sister split up.

Sydney headed towards the library, where she was sure to find out when the next stop to Hoenn was going to be. She rifled through the guidebooks on various regions, and pulled out the guidebook for Hoenn. Deftly, she flipped through until she found the travel section. It seemed that there was a plane that left for Hoenn every day at 3 PM in Canalave City, which was perfect. There was also a boat that left for Hoenn every Friday at 7AM in Canalave City. She shut the guidebook and walked to Karen's room and waited until her sister returned.

Karen returned half an hour later, holding a bag full of fruit, a first aid kit, and two water canteens.

"Awesome! You got it!" Sydney said.

"Yeah, and I overheard the head cook say that she was going to travel to the mainland at 2 PM for supplies. _Please_ tell me we can sneak aboard her yacht and go to Hoenn tomorrow." Karen begged.

"Actually, we can. There's a plane that leaves for Hoenn every day at 3 in the afternoon. If we can't go by plane, then there's a boat that leaves on Friday afternoons." Informed Sydney.

"We're going by plane. I don't want to stay her any longer than I have to." Stated Karen.

"Then it's official! We leave for Hoenn and Team Magma tomorrow!" Laughed Sydney.


	5. Hoenn

_The next day…_

"Ow! Stop shoving!"

"Well if you would move your leg, then I'd have more room!"

"Ugh! Forget it. Have we left yet?"

"…Nope."

Karen sighed. They were hiding in the storage bunker on the servants' small boat. Unfortunately, it was very small in area, and very cramped. The girls had managed to sneak out of their mansion after lunch and board the boat.

"We'd better be moving soon. I don't want to miss the plane." Grumbled Karen.

"Shh! I hear someone!" Sydney whispered.

The two fell quiet as footsteps approached them.

"…..Need more apples, sugar, and flour if we're going to bake a giant cake for the aristocrats." Someone was saying.

"Cherrim!" Said the servant's Cherrim.

The boat was rocked slightly as the two hopped onto the boat.

"Hey….Where are the life jackets? Cherrim, could you check the bunker for me?" The woman asked.

The twins tensed in apprehension. There was the sound of jolly footsteps coming closer and closer to them.

"Never mind, Cherrim. I found them. They were under the seats." The servant called.

"Rim rim!" Laughed Cherrim.

The twins let out a quiet sigh of relief, but their apprehension did not disappear. There was still a huge chance they could be discovered. The boat started humming as it was turned on. Inside the bunker, the girls were jostled and jolted this way and that as the boat was steered towards the mainland. After what seemed an eternity, the vessel slowed, then finally came to a halt.

"Come on, Cherrim!" The servant said as she and her Pokemon left. Karen started to climb out, but was held back by Sydney.

"Wait a few minutes, just in case they're still here." Her sister murmured, barely audible.

After a few minutes, the two cautiously climbed out of the bunker.

"Ahhh, my legs hurrrrt." Karen complained, rubbing circulation back into her limbs.

"C'mon, we gotta find the airport before they find out we're missing!" Said Sydney.

They jumped off of the boat and onto the docks of Canalave City.

"Whoa…" They said in unison.

The port city was filled with life. Markets, townsfolk, and stone cottages dotted the island, while boats of all shapes and sizes filled the water. The whole city had a joyful vibe to it.

"Look, there's our house!" Karen pointed. Sure enough, a couple miles away, was their mansion.

"We have to move! You brought our stuff, right?" Sydney demanded.

In response, Karen brought out two brown knapsacks, which were full of travelling essentials. "There wasn't enough room for more clothes, so we'll have to find Team Magma quickly." She said apologetically.

"So…Where's the airport?" She asked, looking around.

Sydney looked too, but didn't see anything that looked like an airport.

"Maybe we could ask someone." Karen said doubtfully.

Sydney flinched. Talking to strangers wasn't her idea of fun. In both her and Karen's decade-long experience, people were too busy for children.

"They're all too busy. Maybe we can find a map of the city somewhere. Look, I bet that's one there!" Sydney pointed to a wooden post across the street.

Jogging over, they did indeed find a map of Canalave City.

"Okay so…if we take a right here, then a left there…then three more rights…." Began Sydney.

"Or we could just follow that plane." Said Karen, pointing to a plane that was descending.

"Hurry!" Sydney said, and the two began running towards the spot the plane was heading.

Their chase led them to a large building with an even larger field nearby. An airplane suddenly took off from the field, startling the girls.

"Well…we're here." Said Karen.

"We're really doing it, huh?" Said her twin.

"…Yeah."

"…"

"…I guess we'd better go in."

"Yeah."

Sydney and Karen walked into the airport, where ticket sellers and travelers were everywhere. Warily, they approached a ticket booth.

"Hi! How may I help you?" The smiling woman behind the counter beamed at them.

The children hesitated. They weren't used to speaking with adults.

"Um….We'd like a ticket…..please." Karen muttered, staring at the ground. Sydney was too shy to do anything other than stare at her feet.

"Sure thing! Where are you going?" Said the lady.

"…Hoenn." Karen blurted out after an awkward moment.

"You two are in luck! There's a plane departing for the Hoenn region in half an hour! Here are your tickets." The lady said, handing them two plane tickets. Sydney pocketed them and wordlessly put a few bills on the counter. The woman raised her eyebrows.

"This is three times the price!" She exclaimed.

"Sorry, we've never been on a plane before." Karen said quickly.

Sydney's heart began racing. If they were found out….

"Oh, I see. It's pretty fun, seeing the world from a birds-eye view! You'll love it. Your plane is located down that hall and to the left. You'll arrive in Slateport City. Have a nice day!" The lady said, handing them back their change.

The girls followed the woman's instructions and boarded the airplane.

"Wow…so this is what a plane looks like from the inside." Karen said as they took their seats.

"Pretty cool." Sydney agreed.

"I wonder what everyone back at the island will think once they realize we're gone." Karen said soberly.

"Our parents will be sad." Sydney frowned at the thought.

"Don't tell me you want to go back!" Her sister exclaimed.

"No! I mean, we _did_ leave a note for them. But still…"Said Sydney.

"They'll be okay; I'm sure of it. Besides, we'll be—" Karen was cut off by the pilot on the loudspeaker

"Hello and welcome! This is your pilot speaking. We'll be taking off shortly, so please buckle yourselves in and prepare yourselves for a marvelous flight to the stunning Stateport City of the Hoenn region!"

"This is it." Sydney said as the plane began moving to the runway.

"Yep. No going back now." Agreed Karen as the plane began racing down the runway

"All that's left is finding Team Magma." Sydney said, just as the plane took off.

_A few hours later…_

"Ugh, my legs are stiff from sitting so long." Winced Sydney.

"Hopefully we'll be landing soon. My foot's asleep." Sighed Karen.

"Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. We have now arrived at Slateport City and will be landing shortly." Said the pilot.

"Perfect timing!" Grinned Karen.

The girls watched the land get closer and closer.

"Look! A lighthouse! And a port!" Pointed Sydney.

"Wow, it's like we never left Canalave City in Sinnoh." Marveled her twin.

There was a jolt as the plane landed and began slowing down. After a moment, it stopped. The other passengers began getting up and moving toward the entrance after a few moments. The girls stayed seated, suddenly getting cold feet.

"The reality of all this has just sunk in." Said Karen faintly.

"We did it. We really did run away from home." Sydney said in a small voice.

"We still need to find Team Magma first." Karen reminded her.

"I guess we should get off of the plane in order to do that." Sydney said.

"Yeah." Agreed Karen.

Walking into the sunlight, the girls marveled at the port city.

"Look at all these outdoor markets! They're gigantic!" Exclaimed Karen as the two walked down the brick streets.

"How many people live here?!" Gaped Sydney.

"Where do we even begin to look for Team Magma? This place is huge!" Wondered Karen aloud.

Suddenly, Sydney's stomach rumbled.

"Um, can we get something to eat first?" She asked sheepishly.

"Yeah, now that you mention it, we haven't eaten anything for hours. Hmm…Aha! Those buildings right over there looks like they sell food!" Pointed Karen.

"Which one? The Roselia, Café Mystique, or the Pichu's Bliss?" Asked Sydney.

"The Pichu's Bliss sounds absolutely adorable! Let's eat there!" Gushed Karen as the two went inside.

The café was painted in soft yellow, with laughing and playing Pichu's decorated on the walls. There were booths and tables, as well as beanbag chairs clustered around a giant TV. A dartboard lay on one corner of the wall as well.

"Hello! What can I get you?" A man came from a door behind the counter.

"Um…We're new here in town…." Karen trailed off.

"Oh, I see! Welcome to Slateport City! Here, have a cream soda to say hello, on the house!" The man—their waiter, it seemed—laughed with great gusto as he filled up two mugs and slid them over the counter. The girls sat on the barstools and drank their sodas while looking over the menu.

"You'll love it here in Slateport. There are Contest Halls, markets, places to battle Pokemon…We've got it all here." Grinned the waiter after he had taken their orders.

"Yeah! Slateport's awesome!" Called one of the other customers from across the room.

"It sounds amazing! We just got here, and we love it already! I'm Karen, and this is my sister, Sydney. We're from a port city ourselves." Beamed Karen.

Sydney smiled shyly. She liked the cheerful man, but couldn't bring herself to speak. Ten years of selective muteness had taken too much of a toll on her.

"Nice to meet you two! Port cities always have so much life in them. With the sailors always coming and going, there's never a dull moment." Said the waiter.

The cook came out from the kitchen, carrying two plates of pizza.

"Here you are, enjoy." He said as he went back into the kitchen.

"So what are you two doing here in Slateport City?" Asked the waiter conversationally as the two other patrons left the building.

"We're looking for Team Magma." Said Karen.

For a second, Sydney thought she saw a flash of something unrecognizable in the man's eyes, but it happened to quickly for her to be sure.

"Team Magma? That's an odd reason to come to Slateport City." He said.

"Well, we heard they could be found here in Hoenn, so we came to find them." Smiled Karen.

"I see. Oh, I'm sorry; I forgot to refill your drinks. Let me do that real quickly." The waiter took their glasses and walked into the kitchen.

Something seemed odd about what had just occurred, but Sydney couldn't put her finger on what it was. Their waiter returned with their cream sodas.

"Here you are. Will that be all?" He asked pleasantly as the girls finished their food and downed their drinks.

"No, thanks. Here, this should be enough." Karen said, handing the man some money. He took it wordlessly, and the girls stood up to leave.

Suddenly, Sydney's head started spinning. She sat down again quickly, feeling dizzy all of a sudden. Amidst all of the spinning, she could see Karen sitting down too, with a hand to her head. Her vision started to go fuzzy, she dimly saw their waiter stand up suddenly, a cold look now on his once-jolly face.

"You came here to find Team Magma, huh? And you say you came from a port city? Well, little Team Aqua spies, you did indeed find what you were looking for, although you'll never have the chance to tell your friends!" He laughed harshly, sounding completely different from before.

"What?" Asked Karen faintly. Indeed, Sydney was feeling sleepier and sleepier. Suddenly, it all made sense.

"He…drugged…us…" She managed to slur at Karen before collapsing.

"That's right, girlies. The boss will want to speak with you before he gets rid of you." And that was the last thing Sydney remembered.


	6. Team Magma

The first thing Sydney noticed was the temperature. It felt like she was in a sauna. She noticed she was lying on something hard and uncomfortable. She tried to open her eyes and move around, but her body wouldn't respond. Her mind also felt like molasses. Was she dead? Dimly, she tried to remember what happened. They were eating, and….and the waiter drugged them! Now it all made sense; she was still feeling the effects of the drug. Patiently, she waited for the effects to dissipate.

Eventually, she could move around. Her head was still pounding, and she still felt sluggish, but at least it would go away soon enough. Suddenly, she heard a sound nearby and opened her eyes to find Karen stirring beside her.

"What happened…?" Her sister asked sleepily, sitting up. Sydney did the same as well.

"The waiter put something in our drinks to make us sleep." Sydney answered. Karen yawned.

"Yeah, I remember you saying that. But why?" She asked.

"I don't know." Sydney tried to think back on what had happened. Karen had told the man they were looking for Team Magma, and after they were drugged…..

"_The boss will want to speak with you before he gets rid of you." _The man had told them.

Sudden realization made Sydney's skin crawl with horror.

"That man…He was a member of Team Magma! Oh, what did he say? That we were spies or something?" She cried.

"That's why he drugged us! To keep us quiet! But…we're not spies." Karen trailed off.

"He didn't know that." Reminded her twin.

"You're right! Oh, it's my entire fault! I should have told him we wanted to join! Argh, but he wouldn't have believed us. We should never have left Sinnoh!" Karen wailed, tears coming to her eyes.

"…I'm sorry. It's so hot in here; it's hard to think clearly. Where are we, anyway?" She said after a moment.

The two girls looked around. They were imprisoned in a small area surrounded by iron bars. There was a locked door opposite them. They seemed to be in a mountain, as the walls and floor were made of brown stone. The entire room looked to be man-made. Far across the huge room, there was an exit that seemed to lead to another part of the mountain. And between them and the exit was…

"Lava." Karen said in a small whisper.

Indeed, surrounding the path was an enormous pool of bubbling lava, which cackled menacingly.

"That's real, honest-to-Arceus lava." Karen said in a mix of horror and fascination.

"It explains why it's so hot. We must be near a volcano. …Team Magma. I get it now." Said Sydney.

"Do you think anyone's here? Aside from the lava, it's so quiet." Asked Karen fearfully. Sydney shook her head.

"If they wanted to silence us, we wouldn't have woken up. The man back in Slateport City said that the boss wanted to talk to us." Said Sydney, who thought it best not mention the other half of the original sentence.

"The _boss_?!" Gasped Karen.

"I'm sure he's a reasonable man. He wouldn't order the execution for two children, I'm sure of it." Assured Sydney, more for herself than her sister.

"How do you know the boss is a man?" Demanded Karen.

"The guy in Slateport said 'he' when referring to the leader. That's how." Said Sydney.

"Oh. Sorry. Do you think they'll let us go once we explain? I'm not sure I want to join Team Magma anymore." Asked Karen nervously.

"I don't want to join anymore either. And I think they'll release us. I mean, we don't know where we are, for one. And we're not from Hoenn, so we really can't identify anything. Whatever secrets they have are safe with us." Said Sydney.

Suddenly, Karen gasped and nudged her twin. Sydney looked in the direction Karen was facing, and felt fear and adrenaline shoot through her as two men and two women in red and black outfits came into view. Two black Pokemon with stripes were with them.

"…So these two are the Team Aqua spies? They don't look like they belong to our enemy." One of the men said.

"It could just be part of their act. I mean, it's a good strategy, using twins to spy. Shame we didn't think of it first." One of the women responded.

"Hush! Let's just secure them and bring 'em to the boss." Cut in the second man.

"Fine. You two, get up and get out." Ordered the final woman harshly as she unlocked their prison door. The girls were too scared to move.

"Don't make us have to use our Mightyena, now." Said the first man in an eerily calm voice.

"Mightyena!" The Pokemon—Mightyena—growled.

Utterly terrified, the twins stood up and walked towards the Magma members cautiously. Without warning, something was put over Sydney's eyes and tied securely. As she shrieked in terror, firm hands took hold of her arms and held her fast. From the sound of it, they were doing the same to Karen.

"Calm down, we won't hurt you unless you give us a reason to. We're just going for a little walk, okay? Now get going!" One of the women said as Sydney was pushed forward.

Not being able to see made Sydney hesitate each time she took a step, fearful of the burning lava.

"For Groudon's sake, we're not going to push you into the magma. I know you can't see, but just trust us." Snapped one of the men holding her. Fearful of incurring their wrath even further, Sydney tried not to vision herself falling to her fiery doom.

The four Team Magma members led them down halls, up stairs, and down stairs so much that Sydney had no idea where she was anymore. Deftly, she realized that was the members' plan. It worked.

They had been walking for what seemed hours on end when finally she was halted to a stop and the blindfold removed from her eyes. As the hands released her, she blinked rapidly to the sudden light change. When her vision returned, she found that she and Karen were in an office with a view. The walls were made of metal, and the view behind the desk was stunning. The office seemed to be situated on the side of a mountain, shadowing trees and small mountains. The clouds in the sky appeared to be within arms' reach. The three people in front of the girls looked up.

The man seated at the desk was red-haired, with a red and black suit. To his left was a blue-haired woman in the women's uniform, albeit with a longer skirt and two white stripes on the latter. She was chewing something. To the right of him was a purple-haired man, again in the men's uniform, but with two white stripes on his pants' legs.

"You four may leave." The man at the desk said.

"Yes sir." Said one of the men, as the four left, leaving the twins alone with the three.

"Please, have a seat. I'm sure you two must be tired after all that walking." He said, almost friendly.

The girls, feeling like they had no other option, obeyed.

"How's about we start with an introduction? My name's Maxie. I'm the leader of Team Magma. And who are you?" The leader asked, again almost-friendly.

The girls stayed silent, fear paralyzing them.

"….I am Karen, and this is my sister Sydney." Karen said hesitantly after a moment.

"See, that wasn't so bad, was it?" Reassured the woman, blowing a pink bubble and popping it.

"Well, Karen and Sydney, we don't normally have the honor of welcoming children into our lovely Hideout. The heat here is dreadful, isn't it? Unfortunately no amount of air conditioning will fix it. But it's just a small price to pa—"

"We didn't mean to alarm you!" Karen interrupted the Magma leader.

"We were looking for you guys, but then the man in Slateport drugged us, so we didn't get a chance to explain ourselves but now that I'm here I don't wanna be here anymore please just let us go we won't tell anyone!" She rambled.

"Hah! She admits they're Team Aqua spies!" The man to the right of Maxie gloated.

"I'm afraid Tabitha has a point. You just admitted that you were searching for us. And you've indeed found us. But, now that you know where our base in Slateport is, not to mention our Headquarters' location, I'm afraid we simply can't just let you two go." Maxie said.

"But we're not from Hoenn! We don't know where anything is!" Karen cried desperately.

"Why don't you let your sister speak for once?" Asked the woman.

Sydney paled and shook her head vigorously. She had no intention of speaking to these strange people.

"Sydney's just shy, is all." Defended Karen.

"Hmph. Anyway. You know the name of our safehouse. And you can describe the general location of our base, thanks to the magma and the view behind me." Continued Maxie.

"And saying you're not from Hoenn is a bit hard to prove." The woman chimed in wryly.

"Wait! We can prove it!" Karen said.

"Stop trying to save yourselves. It's too late." The man with the stripes started to move towards the girls, but Maxie held up a hand.

"Tell me, how can you prove you two aren't from Hoenn?" He asked.

Sydney looked at her sister questioningly. How _could_ they prove it?

"Our plane tickets! We still have them!" Karen exclaimed.

They_ did_ still have their tickets! Deftly, the girls fished their ticket stubs from their bag and gave it to Maxie.

"Well?" Asked the woman.

"These are two plane tickets from Canalave City, Sinnoh, to Slateport City, Hoenn. These two are telling the truth. They are not from Hoenn, so they are indeed not Team Aqua spies." Reported Maxie. The twins sighed in relief.

"But, the fact that you two know dangerous information still stands. Tabitha?" Maxie said, as the other man—Tabitha—started moving towards the sisters.

"One second." Said the woman. Everyone paused and looked at her.

"What now?" Demanded Tabitha irritably.

"What I wanna know is why two kids from Sinnoh were looking for us in the first place." She shrugged.

"Courtney does have a point. Alright, you two, explain yourselves." Maxie agreed.

"Well, we…kinda….wanted to…join you." Karen blushed and looked away.

"_WHAT?!"_All three demanded at the same time.

"What makes you think we accept _kids_ into our organization?!" Maxie yelled, raising his voice for the first time.'

"We do have a precedent." Mused Courtney.

"That's because he had something he could give to us! Expert tracking skills are valuable when we chase down Team Aqua!" Tabitha glared at Courtney.

"_Enough, _you two. Courtney, why are you so eager to sign these girls on?" Asked Maxie wearily.

"I like them. Can we keep them?" She grinned, popping another bubble.

"She _would_ say that." Muttered Tabitha.

"Ergh. What can you two do?" Sighed Maxie, turning back to the twins.

"Well…uh…we can sing, dance….I play guitar….Sydney plays piano…."Karen faltered.

The looks the two men gave Karen told Sydney they were goners. Courtney merely chucked and popped another gumball into her mouth.

"I, uh…build things….small models of Pokemon….I'd like to learn more about engineering and electronics, and—" 

"Stop." Said Maxie.

Karen shut up.

"I've heard enough out of you. I apologize, but I'm afraid we just can't keep you around anymore. Tabitha and Courtney?"

"Wait! Uh, um…Oh! You're using a Porygon-QXY-672 laptop? That's waaaay obsolete it can't compete with today's models and is totally easy to hack into even a Magikarp could do it also the programs on it won't transcribe to updated computers that's how mediocre it is." Karen covered her rambling traitor mouth as Tabitha and Courtney took hold of the girls.

"What did you just say?" Gaped Maxie.

Seizing her moment, Karen continued.

"Also I noticed the cameras in here are old Mauville-129 models. You should switch to Mauville-230 models; they're way cheaper and even allow sound. Again, these old models are easy to sabotage and the images are so fuzzy calling them 'cameras' are a complete joke. Sir." Karen said. Courtney whistled.

"I've been telling you that for months. Well, the outdated-camera system part, but I thought your laptop was still fine." Said Courtney to Maxie.

"Try sending a file to a different computer; I guarantee it won't work." Called Karen.

"….She's right. I just tried to send a file over to IT and it crashed." Said Maxie, amazed.

"Well. I suppose the girl's right. I guess we do need her after all." He said after a moment. Karen beamed.

"But what about the other girl?" Asked Tabitha.

"We've no need for her. I'll figure out what to do with her later. I need to ponder this carefully. Take them back to their cell. Don't bother blindfolding them." The Magma leader said.


	7. Team Magma, cont

The girls were left alone in their prison. It turned out that Maxie's office was only a few halls away from the giant room they had woken up in. They were scared of what would happen to the unwanted Sydney.

"They said that they would accept you if you had useful skills. And you do; you can break into safes and pick locks. I'd say that's useful. If they trained you a little more in espionage, you could be a spy. Spies are always needed." Karen was trying to cheer her twin.

"I'm not going to let them hurt you." She said seriously.

"I guess you're right. I'm okay at breaking into things." Sydney shrugged, hugging her knees to her chest.

"'Okay'? You broke into our parents' safe! Twice now! And it's supposed to be the latest model, too! No, you have a knack for spy work, Sydney. I know it." Karen said confidently. Sydney raised her head from her knees.

"You really think so?" She asked.

"I know so." Karen smiled. Sydney smiled a bit.

"I guess I do have a talent for break-ins. Do you know when Team Magma will return?" Sydney asked.

"I don't know. Maxie said he needed time to think about our case, so my guess is not anytime soon." Her sister said. Sydney stood up.

"Well, I should probably find them before they make their decision about how to kill me." Sydney said, pulling a bobby pin from her hair and snapping it in half.

"What are you doing? Why did you bring that with you?" Karen asked nervously.

"I didn't know what to expect when we arrived in Hoenn, so I brought bobby pins in case we needed to break into something. I'm going to go find Maxie and talk to him." Sydney replied, inserting the two halves into the lock.

"On one hand, this proves that you'd make a good spy, but on the other hand, you will get in so much trouble when they catch you outside!" Karen said, horrified.

"You're not coming with me?" Sydney asked as the door swung open.

"_Nuh-uh! _I am _not_ going out there. I'm not going to give them a reason to hurt me! Nope, I am staying right here where it's ironically safe." Karen said adamantly, crossing her arms.

"Suit yourself. I don't know when I'll be back, so just sit tight, okay?" Sydney walked out of the cell.

"Do you even remember where the office is?" Asked Karen, shutting the door.

"Yeah. It's not that far from here, and I memorized the way back. The only thing I need to be wary of is not getting caught by the cameras. I'll be fine." Sydney said with a smile.

"…Okay, if you say so. Good luck, Sydney." Karen said as Sydney starting walking out of the chamber.

Sydney had noticed only a couple of cameras on the way back from the office. They swiveled around, which made it easier to remain out of their sight. All she had to do was dash under the camera when it was looking in the opposite direction and then run out of its line of sight when it moved again. It was fairly easy, but also nerve-wracking. If she was caught before she could make her case….No, she couldn't consider failure.

Finally, she made it to the leader's office. Hearing voices from inside, she pressed herself against the wall and listened to the conversation.

"…Know how they learned the location of our safehouse. Obviously someone must have talked. I will find out who, and he or she will pay dearly." Someone was saying.

"They're from Sinnoh, right? What if it was just dumb luck?" A woman's voice—Courtney—replied.

"That's preposterous! You're telling me that two little girls with absolutely no knowledge of anything in Hoenn just happened to decide to go to the Pichu's Bliss and tell Darren they were looking for Team Magma? Get real, Courtney." A third voice—it sounded like Tabitha—said.

"Enough. I will make those two tell me who told them about our safehouse later. But for right now, it appears we have a new member." The first voice—it must be Maxie's—said wearily.

"What are you going to do with the mute one?" Asked Courtney.

"…Sir?" She said after a moment.

"We seem to have an unwanted listener. I know you're there, so come out already!" Maxie's voice rang out harshly.

Sydney froze. She had somehow been spotted. Hesitantly, she stepped into view. Six eyebrows rose in surprise as they saw her.

"You! How'd you get here? The cell door was locked; I checked!" Courtney exclaimed, still chewing gum.

"How'd you get out? And where's your twin? ….Actually, which one are you?" Asked Maxie.

Sydney bit her lip. She had planned on speaking to these three, but now her shyness was in full effect.

"…The silent one. I see. This doesn't change the questions: How'd you get out, and where is your sister?" Demanded Maxie.

Sydney took a deep breath. She knew if she was going to survive, she'd have to overcome her phobia of speaking to strangers. Her life depended on it. She had to be brave.

"I…picked the lock." She said quietly.

"She spoke!" Exclaimed Tabitha.

"Louder." Said Courtney, popping another gumball into her mouth.

"I picked the lock." Sydney said, louder. She held out her hand, in which lay the broken bobby pin.

"Karen's still in the cell. She didn't want to get into trouble." She added. Now that she had spoken, she noticed the words came more easily and freely. More bravely.

"You have the audacity and ability to break out? Hm. I must say, I'm impressed. Not many people would do such a thing. Especially a little shy thing like you." Mused Maxie.

"You knew you would get into trouble if you escaped, and yet you did. I want to know why." Tabitha demanded.

"I had to come here and talk to you three before you decided on how to get rid of me. I had to tell you that I have useful skills, too. I'm great at lock-picking and safe-cracking. My very presence here proves it. I wasn't even caught by the cameras! I waited until they were looking away before moving. With just a little more training, I could be a very useful spy for you guys. No one would expect a ten-year old to be a member of a criminal organization. I could obtain information more quickly, more easily, than an adult." Sydney said. The three members were speechless.

"You make a compelling argument—Sydney, is it?—Sydney. But what we've been wanting to know is, why do you two want to join our cause?" Asked Maxie.

"Me and my sister have lived on an island all our lives. We hated it because we weren't allowed to leave our home. The ocean was the only thing keeping us prisoner. If there hadn't been an ocean to hold us captive, we would've left a long time ago. We were coddled and ignored for ten years, but we couldn't escape, thanks to the ocean. It imprisoned us. That's why we wanted to get rid of it. When we heard that Team Magma was planning on doing just that, we knew we had to help." Said Sydney.

"I see. Tell me, how did you learn of us, and our safehouse?" Asked Maxie.

"I read an article about you guys in the newspaper. It only said that you guys wanted to expand the landmass. As to the safehouse, it's as Courtney said. It was pure dumb luck." She replied.

"I can tell she's not lying, so save your breath." Said Courtney to Tabitha, who was about to object.

Maxie remained silent for a few minutes.

"I see a lot of potential in this girl. As she said, with more training she could prove very useful to us indeed. And I am not so cruel as to permanently separate two sisters. As such, I am willing to offer membership to this child." He said finally.

"What?!" Tabitha demanded.

"Congrats." Grinned Courtney.

Sydney beamed. She did it! She and Karen were going to be Team Magma members!

"The only problem I see here is identifying you two. You two will be wearing matching uniforms, so it will be impossible to tell who's who." Frowned Maxie.

"Don't worry, I got it. One sec." Said Courtney as she left the office.

After a few awkward minutes, she returned with a bottle in hand.

"This here is hair dye. Coincidentally, it's the same color as your dress." Courtney said, handing the bottle to Sydney.

Tabitha glared at Courtney.

"I thought you said you had no idea who dyed my hair sky blue last week while I was sleeping." He said.

"No, I said that whoever had done it must have a sense of humor. And it's true; I do have a sense of humor. Unlike you." Courtney winked at him.

"Enough, you two. Tabitha, go bring in Sydney's sister." Ordered Maxie. Tabitha left, still grumbling.

"You really shouldn't tease him so much." Maxie said to Courtney after a moment.

"I know. But he's such an easy victim. And I get bored oh so easily." Courtney grinned at her boss.

"Try not to give him an aneurism before he's 30, okay?" Sighed Maxie.

"I'll try, but I make no promises." Said Courtney, blowing a bubble.

Tabitha returned shortly with Karen.

"Karen! I'm a Team Magma member just like you now!" Sydney hugged her sister tightly.

"Really? See, I knew you'd do it! And—wait, you're talking around other people." Karen broke off, confused.

"I had to in order to convince them. And I'm comfortable around them now. And look, I have hair dye; it'll help tell us apart." Sydney showed her sister the bottle.

"Sweet. It's your favorite color, too!"

"Ahem." Said Maxie. The girls fell silent.

"Now that the confusion is over, it's time to swear you two in." He said. The girls fell silent and stood at attention.

"Do you two swear to always be loyal to Team Magma, and help us in our quest to expand the land and destroy Team Aqua?" He asked formally.

"Who are Team Aqua?" Asked Karen.

"They are a group similar to us, but they wish to expand the sea with the help of Kyogre. As such, they are our bitter rivals." Explained Tabitha.

"Expand the sea?! That's insane! Of course we'll take them out!" Shouted Karen.

"Then as leader of Team Magma, I now sign you two, Sydney and Karen, to Team Magma." Finished Maxie.

"Do you two have Pokemon with you?" Asked Courtney after the girls were done cheering.

"No, we don't." Said Sydney.

"Come with me, and you'll get one." Courtney said, leading the girls out of the office and into a large chamber.

"Wait here and I'll get some for you to choose from." She said as she left.

A few minutes later, she returned with five Pokeballs.

"Since you're new, you can only choose one of these five. Once you prove yourself, you'll have access to more. These Pokeballs contain Aron, a steel- and rock-type; Baltoy, a ground- and psychic-type, Zubat, a poison- and flying-type, Numel, a fire- and ground-type, and Poochyena, a dark type." As she said their names, Courtney released all five.

"Oh wow! These are all so cute! Hi! I'm Karen!" Gushed Karen as she knelt down to pet each one.

Sydney did the same, albeit more silently. All five were eager to greet her, and she pet them with the same enthusiasm. How could she choose just one? After a minute, she found she kept coming back to the Aron. Its hard body reminded her of her fear of public speaking.

"I'll take Aron." Sydney said, holding said Pokemon.

"Aron!" It said, pleased.

"And I'll take Baltoy!"Beamed Karen.

"Bal!" It said.

"Sweet. Well, here are their Pokeballs. I'll find you two uniforms in a few. Congrats again on joining us. You'll love it." Said Courtney.

"We will." Smiled Sydney.


	8. Epilogue

Sydney smiled at the memory while staring at the blue sky. She and Karen's lives had drastically improved for the better after that. Thanks to her coworkers and friends, she had overcome her crippling shyness, and her self-confidence had soared. Her little Aron had finally evolved into a fearsome Aggron that could destroy a house in seconds. A few weeks into her membership, she had also obtained a Rhyhorn and a Houndour, which later evolved into Rhydon and Houndoom, respectively. Best of all, she was now a fully trained covert operative, skilled in espionage and spying.

Karen had fledged into a skilled hacker and engineer, much to her delight. She spent hours skulking around in Team Aqua's databases. Karen, like Sydney, had also been granted two additional Pokemon: A Zubat and a Numel. Both evolved into their final forms just a few weeks ago. Karen's precious Baltoy, however, refused to evolve, so Karen had given it an Everstone.

All in all, the girls were satisfied with their lives now. Sometimes Sydney thought about their parents. Sure, they must be sad, but the twins _had_ to leave their overprotective prison for their own mental health. None of the other Team Magma members understood why they left. A lot of them, as it turned out, came from average or poor backgrounds, so the thought of leaving riches galore was unthinkable to them. But they hadn't been trapped on an island with overprotective guardians for ten years. It was understandable that the others couldn't comprehend leaving money for happiness.

"Whoa! Hold up! I know that guy!" The sole woman in their group exclaimed, breaking Sydney out of her reverie. The latter turned onto her side and got up.

"What's up?" She asked.

"That man, right there! I know him! He's a Team Aqua member! He was my opponent last time we battled them!" The woman said. One of the men took the binoculars.

"The one with the Cacturne that's going into the bank? How do you know?" He asked.

"He has a tattoo of a Kingdra on his right arm! I distinctly remember a Team Aqua member having a tattoo of that Pokemon on that arm." Said the lady adamantly.

"Kay, so, just watch the entrance and see if he comes out with anything interesting. This might just be the bank he deposits his paycheck into." Said Karen, fiddling with her laptop.

After half an hour of taking turns with the binoculars, their quarry exited.

"He has a briefcase with him! He didn't enter with one before. Our tip that the bank is actually an Aqua haven must've been correct." Said the woman.

"How do you know he hasn't just withdrawn a large amount of cash?" Asked another man.

"Look at his body language. He's trying so hard to act natural, but he's gripping the handle of that thing way too tightly. Also he's looking around a little too much for someone obviously familiar with Rustboro City." Said a third man.

"Maybe he's afraid of being robbed of all his cash." Suggested Sydney.

"A Team Aqua member afraid of getting his money stolen? No way, if he's half as trained as us, he'll be well equipped to deal with minor threats. Besides, robbers would have a better haul stealing from Devon. He's up to something, I know it." Said the woman.

"Change of plan. Karen, Alexa, and Sydney will go infiltrate the bank while me, Jeff, Simon, and Derek keep the Aqua moron busy. Karen, make sure that the power goes out in the bank so they can't hit the silent alarm. Don't bother blacking out the city; that'll only bring the cops on us faster. Alexa, keep everyone in there quiet and out of the way. Sydney, ransack the place for anything useful. No need to be gentle. Got it?" Said the first man.

"Got it." Everyone confirmed.

"Alright. After we're done, scatter. We'll meet in Meteor Falls in approximately two hours for the helicopter home. Make _sure_ you're not followed. Okay? Let's go!" Said the leader.

"Time to cause some anarchy!" Snickered Sydney as she and her group began the mission. __Thanks to everyone who was kind enough to read my very first story! Y'all are awesome! See you next time! _


End file.
